If you’re yet to update your graphics cards from Nvidia’s GTX 10-series, built on its Pascal architecture, some games have become simply unplayable due to the progression of technology. In the case of Alan Wake 2, the DirectX 12 mesh shaders are not compatible with Pascal microarchitecture GPUs, and while the game does run, performance is far from playable. Now, in a new update, Remedy is focusing on creating a better experience for those still using the GTX 10-series cards.
Alan Wake 2 demands the best graphics cards on the market for its high-end performance, and we found that the best settings for our humble testing rigs were quite low. It’s no surprise that Nvidia‘s GTX 10-series cards also struggled, with completely unplayable results.
However, in a preview of a new PC update shared with Eurogamer, Remedy has addressed the issue with Pascal GPUs, in addition to some other quality-of-life improvements, and the game now leans into playable territory on both the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 cards.
Unfortunately, despite some improvements, the Nvidia GTX 1060 still can’t quite reach those dizzying playable heights, with a pre-patch 18fps only increasing to around 26fps.
On the GTX 1070, the improvements are much better, with performance creeping over the 30fps mark, which still might not be enough for some players, but it’s far better than the pre-patch averages of around 20fps.
The Nvidia GTX 1080 is where the improvements become noteworthy. Before the update, this GPU was averaging 27fps but will now run at a stable 50fps. There is a further small improvement for the GTX 1080 Ti, but it doesn’t quite make it over the 60fps mark.
Testing was performed with the noted GPUs alongside an Intel Core i9 13900K, using the settings closest to Quality Mode on the PS5. Alan Wake 2 notably performed quite poorly at launch on consoles too, but this has since been ironed out in recent updates.
Taking an eight-year-old graphics card and almost matching the performance of a modern home console shows that this update is delivering on its goals.
Alan Wake 2 is among the best horror games on PC, but if you want to know what else is still to come in 2024, our guide to the best upcoming games has you covered.